Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Recreational Red Snapper 2013 Mini-Season In August

PORT CANAVERAL, Florida -- NOAA Fisheries
announced
the opening of the
2013
commercial and the recreational red snapper
fishing season (also known as the red snapper "mini-season" or "sport season") in South Atlantic
federal waters.

Recreational Red Snapper 2013 Mini-Season

The
recreational
fishing season will open for
one
weekend made up of Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday.
The recreational red snapper season
opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on
August
23,
2013, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on
August
26
, 2013.

During the open recreational
season, the bag limit is one fish per person per day
and
there is no minimum size limit for red snapper.
NOAA Fisheries may change the commercial and
recreational season dates if severe
weather
conditions (like a hurricane or tropical storm) exist. If severe weather conditions
exist, NOAA Fisheries will announce via NOAA
Weather Radio and a Fishery Bulletin any change
in the red snapper fishing seasons.

After the conclusion of
the recreational
fishing season, red snapper may not be
harvested or possessed
under the bag limit
in federal
waters of the South Atlantic.

Commercial Red Snapper 2013 Season

The
commercial
red snapper season opens at
12:01 a.m., local time, on
August
26,
2013.
The
commercial
season will
end when the annual catch
limit is projected to be met; NOAA Fisheries will
announce the closure in another
Fishery Bulletin.

During the open commercial season, the
daily
trip
limit is 75
pounds gutted weight and there is
no
minimum
size limit for red snapper.

After the conclusion of the commercial fishing
season,
harvest and
possession
of red snapper
are
limited to the bag
limit
unless the recreational
sector is closed.
Harvest and possession prohibitions also apply to state
waters for vessels holding federal snapper
-
grouper
permits.